A Night-time Conversation

Putting my kids to bed, all in one room (they love to have sleepovers in the summer, even if it means sleeping right on the floor with a blanket and pillow...btw, forget that schedule!), and the room was humming with bits of floating conversation.  Frequently they all talk to me at once and don't seem to notice that others are also doing the same (do other people's kids do this?).

Here is how it went (roughly):

Six year-old: I don't want to get leprosy!

Me:  Don't worry, I'm not even sure leprosy exists anymore, especially in our country [I've since apprised myself of the facts].

Nine year-old:  Wouldn't it be cool to be a demi-god like Percy or Annabeth?

Me:  Uh-huh.

Six wails: I don't want my skin to fall off!

Three year old:  I love to choose the right.

Me:  That's wonderful.  [To my six] Honey, your skin is not going to fall off (where did she even learn about leprosy?).

Ten year-old: Mom, did you know some lizards squirt blood out of their eyes to protect themselves?

Baby:  Nie, nie. (translation: light, light)

Me:  Yes, that's a light.  [To ten year-old]  Wow, pretty cool.

Six year old:  But how do you know my skin won't fall off (still in a really wail-y voice)?

Me:  I promise you don't have leprosy and there is NO leprosy where we live.

Nine year-old:  Mom, if you could be the daughter of a god, who would it be-- Poseidon, Zeus, or Athena? [she loves Percy Jackson]

Ten: And such-and such animals can eat ten times their body weight?

Six wails:  But how do you KNOW? 

Baby: blah, blah, mommy.

Me: I don't know much about Greek gods.  Oh, you just said "mommy!"  Honey, you are not going to die of leprosy this minute.  You need to go to bed.

Six:  But what if my fingers fall off?  Is leprosy worse than frost bite?  (someone told her about frostbite once and she wouldn't sleep then, either, worrying her fingers would fall off)

Ten:  I saw a snake in our back yard digesting a mouse.  You could see the tail and everything.  [to six year-old]  Leprosy does make your skin fall off (Wail!), but Mom's right.  You probably won't get it.

Wow.  Fun times. :)  Part of the time she was calling leprosy "leopard-sy."  Ha, ha.

Do your kids have any funny, irrational fears?  Is it hard to keep a straight face?